Scholarship in the Kingdom

Scholarship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the methods adopted by the Kingdom to enhance the academic qualifications of Saudi male and female students and government employees by providing them with scholarships within educational institutions, either within the Kingdom or abroad, to continue their university and higher education studies and obtain degrees that meet the needs of the job market and development requirements in the Kingdom.

The scholarship program in the Kingdom began during the reign of the Kingdom's founder, King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, following his approval of the scholarship project prepared by a committee he assigned to address education in 1927.

Scholarships outside the Kingdom were initiated during the reign of King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. A group of education and development enthusiasts in the Kingdom proposed the idea to King Abdulaziz, and after considering it, he ordered the formation of a committee to study the proposal. The committee subsequently prepared a report on the scholarship project, which was approved. In 1927, King Abdulaziz ordered the dispatch of a Saudi scholarship delegation to Egypt, consisting of three of the proposal's proponents and six students. At that time, the scholarship program covered the delegation's expenses, including individual allowances and a supervisor for the delegation. It was also required that the scholarship recipients work in a government-approved position after graduation.

The Kingdom's external scholarship programs expanded in response to the state's needs and requirements. By order of King Abdulaziz, a delegation was sent to London in 1929, comprising three employees from Makkah al-Mukarramah Post Office, to train and qualify them in the establishment and management of wireless communication networks at Marconi Company in Chelmsford City, England. Additionally, ten Saudi students were sent to Italy in 1935 to study aviation. The first delegation to Switzerland was dispatched in 1936, consisting of two students, to study law and political science. In the same year, a delegation was sent to Istanbul to study engineering.

To further enhance qualification efforts, King Abdulaziz ordered the establishment of the Scholarship Preparation School in 1936, the first high school in the Kingdom, aimed at preparing students for university enrollment. Following the influx of oil in the Kingdom, external scholarships continued, expanding to Europe and the United States.

Ministries also began sending their scholarship recipients abroad to further their knowledge. For example, the Ministry of Defense sent graduates from Dhahran Airport to the United States.

The Directorate of General Knowledge (now the Ministry of Education) sought students with secondary or cultural certificates to pursue scholarships in the United States for specialized training in wireless and automatic telephone technology. Additionally, notices were issued for secondary and teacher training students to finalize their scholarship arrangements for studies in Egypt.

As a result of the previous scholarships and evaluations conducted by educational officials in the Kingdom, through gathering observations, ideas, and conclusions from the performance of scholarship students, and recognizing the positive intellectual, practical, and cultural impacts, the idea emerged to establish a school dedicated to secondary education and organized scholarship preparation.

By order of King Abdulaziz, a modern Saudi public school was established by the Directorate of Knowledge (now the Ministry of Education) known as the Scholarship Preparation School. This school was designed to prepare Saudi students at the secondary level to pursue their education abroad in institutes and universities. The school was founded in 1936, and classes began in 1937 in al-Misfalah Neighborhood of Makkah al-Mukarramah, west of the Kingdom.

Scholarship Preparation School marked the beginning of secondary education in the Kingdom, offering a curriculum that included various sciences to prepare students for studying abroad. The general track of the program lasted four years, while the special track took five years to complete. The school's name was later changed and is now known as King Abdulaziz Secondary School, located in al-Aziziyah Neighborhood.

The first group of qualified students from the school was sent to universities in Egypt and other countries. Subsequently, the second group was dispatched to Egypt, consisting of about ten students, with the aim of studying Islamic studies, the Arabic language, and the principles of education. In the same year, a special department was established to oversee the affairs of scholarship students, monitor their behavior, and provide them with living and medical care.

The school was named Scholarship Preparation School instead of being called a "high school" because its students were graduates of al-Falah School and the Saudi Scientific Institute. The primary purpose was to prepare them for scholarships and to continue their educational journey abroad. Although the education they received was equivalent to that of advanced levels due to the quality of its outputs, they lacked studies in scientific subjects such as chemistry, biology, algebra, geometry, and foreign languages like English and French. Thus, Scholarship Preparation School was established to meet this need.

At that time, the school adopted several objectives, including preparing Saudi students and enabling them to enroll in institutes and universities abroad, particularly in Egyptian universities. The school aimed to help students gain experience from other countries and benefit from these experiences. Additionally, the school played a significant role in developing and renewing the educational field in the Kingdom, both in terms of quantity and quality, and addressed the challenges that students faced during their scholarships.

The school played a role in the development and enhancement of the educational and pedagogical fields in the Kingdom. It brought about significant and effective changes in Saudi educational institutions by contributing to the restructuring of educational stages following primary education. The school introduced the intermediate stage and the secondary stage, which was divided into scientific and literary sections. Additionally, it merged the preparatory and primary stages, reducing the study years in these stages from seven to six.

The school's curriculum was closely aligned with that of Egypt, due to the fact that most scholarship students were sent to Egypt. The curriculum included subjects such as Arabic language and its branches, religious education, history, arithmetic, English language, natural sciences, algebra, and mathematics.

The school also established specific requirements for admitting students from across the Kingdom, such as Saudi nationality, a certificate from the Saudi Scientific Institute, or completion of both primary and intermediate stages. Additionally, students had to pass a personal interview and commit to adhering to the scholarship system.

The first cultural attaché office outside the Kingdom was established in Cairo and Alexandria in 1943 and was named "Saudi Dar al-Ba'athat." It was responsible for the affairs of scholarship students, providing them with personal and academic expenses, as well as food, drink, clothing, and medical care.

Scholarships in the Kingdom during the 1970s marked the beginning of the Kingdom’s economic planning, particularly following the launch of its second five-year plan in 1975. During this period, the scope of scholarship destinations expanded to include the United States and Europe. The scholarship system was also updated to include graduate students and government employees pursuing master's degrees. Additionally, the program extended to university academics, such as teaching assistants and lecturers, who were sent abroad to complete their master’s and doctoral studies.

The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program is dedicated to sending Saudi students—both men and women—to continue their educational journey at accredited global universities in various fields and specializations. The program aims to achieve economic growth, enhance the role of research, development, and innovation, and solidify the Kingdom's position on the international stage. It was launched on May 26, 2005, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom. The program is composed of five phases, with one of its goals being to send approximately fifty thousand male and female students abroad within five years of the issuance of the decision. The program directs students to various countries and continents, including the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asian countries.

The program supports the Kingdom's development plans by developing national human resources and providing them with opportunities to compete in both local and international labor markets. Throughout its implementation, several initiatives and projects have been launched to help achieve the program’s objectives. In 2010, the "Safeer" platform was launched, linking scholarship students with the Ministry of Education. The second phase of the scholarship program began in 2011, and in 2015, the third phase introduced "Your Job, Your Scholarship" project, which aligned scholarships with the specializations required in the job market.

At a later stage, the Scholarship Deputy Ministry in the Ministry of Education supervised the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and its proposed policies, provided administrative and technical supervision for the departments and affiliated units, coordinated their activities, and monitored their performance and development. Furthermore, the Deputy Ministry issued scholarship decisions for students abroad and followed up on their studies in the assigned universities in coordination with the cultural attachés.

The tools and mechanisms of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program have evolved to include several tracks that align with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to cultivate national talents across various fields. One of these tracks, the Path of Excellence, is designed to enhance the academic qualifications of male and female students by enrolling them in leading international educational institutions. This track contributes to expanding and refining their knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines and fields.

This track has also established partnerships with several government sectors, all contributing to the achievement of comprehensive development by introducing new disciplines that build a thriving and diversified economy to support promising sectors, as it included thirty-two specializations in seventy universities around the world.

These promising and new disciplines meet the needs of sustainable development and the national labor market. They include tourism, tourism management, hospitality, business administration, economics, human resources, sports, sports management, environmental sciences, and environmental management.

The scholarship programs also entailed other experiences such as those launched by NEOM, through the "NEOM" Scholarship Program, which leads to employment in Renewable Energy Engineering for the baccalaureate stage, in cooperation with Fahd Bin Sultan University in Tabuk, as the University offers a distinguished program in renewable energy in partnership with the American University of Dayton.

Other cooperation programs and partnerships between Saudi universities were offered, such as the cooperation agreement between King Saud and Hafr al-Batin universities, which aims at enhancing the activities of postgraduates, educational partnerships, research possibilities, and academic expertise, in accordance with the scholarship system, in disciplines needed by the public and private labor market.

The program targets high school graduates, university graduates, and individuals who have received acceptance into global universities. It supports their continued academic journey in the following stages: Bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctorate, medical fellowship, and specialized training.

The program aims to achieve sustainable development, enhance the efficiency of human capital, and contribute to empowering and strengthening the Kingdom's capabilities in research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, particularly in priority areas. Additionally, it seeks to re-skill and motivate talent across various scientific disciplines to provide a national workforce equipped with expertise, especially in promising sectors and projects launched under Saudi Vision 2030.

The program sets forth general conditions for the admission of male and female students to the scholarship program, which include: The applicant must be a Saudi national, possess good conduct, and have received acceptance from one of the specified educational institutions according to the requirements of each track in the program. The field of study must fall within the designated specializations for the year of application, and the mode of study is determined by the program track. The accepted program must comply with the track’s regulations, and the applicant must study full-time and reside in the country of the scholarship. Additionally, the applicant must meet the selection criteria and policies. It is not permitted for a currently active scholarship student to apply for another scholarship while their existing one is ongoing, although they may apply for future opportunities.

The strategy of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program was launched on March 6, 2022, by Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz. This strategy marks a new phase in the field of scholarships, aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of citizens by boosting human capital in various promising modern sectors. The strategy also represents a continuation of the Kingdom’s efforts to empower and develop human capabilities and contribute to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The strategy is built on three pillars: Focusing on raising awareness among scholarship recipients, preparing and qualifying them; contributing to the development of scholarship tracks and programs; and ensuring continuous monitoring, support, and guidance for the students by enhancing the services provided to them.

The strategy offers several paths aimed at increasing human capital efficiency and achieving sustainable development in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The program’s strategy consists of five tracks, including:

This path is dedicated to sending male and female students to thirty educational institutions across nine countries, allowing them to study various fields and specializations. The path offers opportunities to pursue both bachelor's and master's degrees. Applicants must fulfill the specific requirements of this path, including securing admission from one of the designated educational institutions. The acceptance letter must be issued by the university’s Office of Admissions and Registration, must come from an accredited institution listed in the program, and must be final and unconditional. For countries where English is not the primary language, conditional acceptance based on the completion of language studies is permitted, with scholarships available to support these language programs.

It is one of the paths dedicated to sending male and female students to approximately two hundred educational institutions across sixteen countries. This path allows for study in about 159 diverse specializations and contributes to the development and advancement of research in the Kingdom. This path is designed for those pursuing a Ph.D. To be accepted into this path, applicants must choose one of the educational institutions listed in the path and obtain a final, unconditional acceptance from the university’s Office of Admissions and Registration, which must be accredited and included in the program’s list. If the country of study is non-English speaking, the acceptance can be conditional on the completion of language studies, with scholarships available to support this language learning.

This path addresses the needs of the labor market by sending male and female students to two hundred universities and institutes across sixteen countries. This path includes approximately 186 specializations and targets students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees. To gain acceptance into this path, applicants must secure a final, unconditional acceptance from one of the educational institutions listed. The acceptance must be issued by the university’s Office of Admissions and Registration, which must be accredited and part of the program’s list. If the country of study is non-English speaking, the acceptance may be conditional on studying the language.

It contributes to sending students abroad to various promising sectors and fields, as dictated by major national projects and sectors. This is achieved through training and preparing scholarship students in several global academies and programs, aiming to supply key national sectors, such as industry and tourism sectors, with globally competitive human resources.

It is dedicated to fulfilling the comprehensive development requirements in line with Saudi Vision 2030. It aims to enhance the academic qualifications of male and female students by sending them to leading global educational institutions, which contribute to the development and refinement of their knowledge and skills across various fields and specializations.

The Deputy Ministry for Scholarships at the Ministry of Education is dedicated to preparing Saudi human resources and effectively contributing to their qualification. The aim is to make them competitive in the labor market and scientific research, both locally and globally. Additionally, it serves as a key source of support for Saudi universities by providing them with distinguished talents in both the private and public sectors.

The role of the Deputy Ministry for Scholarships involves performing various tasks related to the scholarship field. This includes proposing general policies for sending Saudi male and female students abroad, providing technical and administrative supervision over the relevant departments and units, and developing, coordinating, and monitoring their activities. It also oversees the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, contributes to the formulation of its policies, and is responsible for issuing scholarship decisions for students. Additionally, it monitors their academic progress at their educational institutions in coordination with cultural attachés, provides development programs for scholarship programs, and addresses challenges faced by scholarship students.

The Deputy Ministry for Scholarships has adopted a set of objectives aimed at building a knowledgeable and empowered society. Its goals include establishing policies and controls related to scholarships, providing general oversight of scholarship matters within the Ministry, and sending qualified Saudi talents to study at educational institutions around the world. It also aims to benefit from the exchange of scientific, cultural, and educational expertise globally, to empower Saudi professionals, to enhance their professional performance, and to supervise and support scholarship students through cultural attachés.

Safeer Scholarship Platform is a national online platform that provides various services to students studying abroad. It aims to streamline their academic procedures by relying on a set of global practices and standards that align with the scholarship regulations and the laws and provisions of the Ministry of Education.

Safeer Scholarship Platform aims to facilitate the academic journey of scholarship students by applying modern technologies and leveraging artificial intelligence tools. It provides smart, integrated services to students, enabling them to complete all processes related to studying abroad. Additionally, the platform supports scholarship entities by providing easy access to information and ensuring swift processing of transactions.

The key beneficiaries of Safeer Scholarship Platform include the Ministry of Education, students studying abroad, Saudi cultural attachés, and the scholarship and nomination entities.

The platform offers a range of e-services related to scholarships, including services for obtaining study opportunities abroad, personal services for students, services tailored to the needs of scholarship students, academic services, financial services, and direct personal data update services.

Scholarship programs in the Kingdom are not limited to the Ministry of Education. Various ministries, national projects, and major companies have launched their own scholarship programs, both domestically and internationally. Among these is the Cultural Scholarship Program launched by the Ministry of Culture, which offers several benefits to male and female students under the self-funded study track and those who have secured prior acceptance.

The Cultural Scholarship Program is an educational initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom. It offers opportunities for Saudi students to study various cultural and artistic specializations at prestigious universities worldwide. The program was announced on December 30, 2019, with applications opening on January 19, 2020.

The Cultural Scholarship Program aims to contribute to the development and growth of national cultural talent specializing in diverse cultural and creative fields at leading academic institutions. The program focuses on training and qualifying these talents to meet the demands of the labor market, while also aligning with the cultural goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The program offers approximately thirteen cultural and artistic specializations, including music, theater, visual arts, archaeology, and design, at around fifty educational institutions outside the Kingdom, such as Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University. The program’s benefits include coverage of tuition fees, financial guarantees, living expenses for both the student and a companion, health insurance, travel tickets from the Kingdom to the study destination and back, as well as guidance programs to monitor and support the academic progress of scholarship students.

NEOM Scholarship Program is an educational initiative that offers high school graduates from NEOM region the opportunity to pursue higher education at local or international institutions. The program aims to build their capabilities and enhance their skills, preparing them to become future leaders of NEOM projects or to secure employment opportunities within NEOM’s sectors or its operating companies.

To participate in the NEOM Scholarship Program, students must first complete the foundation year at Fahd Bin Sultan University in Tabuk City. They can then pursue their chosen field of study at educational institutions either locally or globally. The available specializations in the program are closely aligned with NEOM’s sectors and departments, including engineering sciences, aerospace sciences, health technology sciences, computer science, and digital learning.

Aramco Scholarship Program is a university scholarship initiative for non-employees of Saudi Aramco. In this program, Aramco selects a group of Saudi male and female high school graduates from the general track, the computer science and engineering track, or the health and life sciences track to pursue a bachelor's degree in one of the specializations needed by Aramco.

The academic admission requirements for the Aramco University Scholarship Program for non-employees include the following: The applicant must be a regular student in the third semester of the third year of high school at the time of application. The applicant's cumulative GPA must be no less than 85 percent for the first and second years of high school, as well as the first semester of the third year. Additionally, the applicant must have a cumulative GPA of at least 85 percent in scientific subjects, "mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology", for the same period. Furthermore, the applicant must achieve a score of at least 90 percent on the General Aptitude Test, which is administered by the National Center for Assessment under the Education and Training Evaluation Commission for high school students.